Developmental Adaptive Daily Living (DADL) refers to everyday activities undertaken by a blind, deafblind or vision-impaired person from birth to 21-years-old. Examples are: eating and drinking, shopping, dressing, personal care, financial management and using community facilities.

Early intervention is essential for the appropriate motor, cognitive and communication skills to be encouraged. Skills are not taught in isolation as many are transferable between tasks.

A child with a vision impairment is often not able to copy actions. Areas that are focused on are:

• Motor skills: e.g. sitting, crawling, standing, walking, balance, posture and stability, use of hands, coordination.
• Sensory skills: e.g. use of vision, touch, hearing, smell, movement.
• Personal care skills: e.g. personal hygiene, grooming, dressing, eating.
• Household management: e.g. cleaning, shopping, cooking, money management, household repairs.

Instructors provide instruction and guidance to enable blind and vision-impaired children and young people to confidently carry out these and other daily activities.

Children and young people can be referred to the service by family or caregivers, RNZFB Child and Family Social Workers, pre-school and school staff and other professionals.

The service will include one-to-one intervention, parent and family training and group sessions.

Aspects of this family-centred service:

• Working with parents as "first educators", providing them with training, information, resources, etc.
• Assessing the Developmental Adaptive Daily Living needs and abilities of children and young people within home, community and educational environments.
• Designing individual programmes or other interventions, with ongoing assessment and evaluation.
• Teaching skills in personal care and household management areas.
• Public education, training and consultation.
• A focus on independence, or interdependence, if this is more appropriate.

For more information, please contact Kate Kerr on phone 0800 24 33 33 or email: DADL

See also Developmental Orientation and Mobility.